Helical CT with CT angiography in assessing periampullary neoplasms: identification of vascular invasion

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of helical computed tomography (CT) with CT angiography in identifying vascular invasion by periampullary neoplasms and to assess the added value of CT angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine patients suspected of having periampullary neoplasms were examined. Images from dual phase helical CT with CT angiography were compared with surgical findings in 36 patients. Arterial and venous invasion were assessed separately. Accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined for CT alone and for CT supplemented with CT angiography. RESULTS: The accuracy, PPV, and NPV of helical CT with CT angiography in identifying venous invasion was 92% (33 of 36 patients), 86% (12 of 14 patients), and 95% (21 of 22 patients), respectively. When transverse CT images alone were analyzed, accuracy decreased to 69% (25 of 36 patients) (P =.005); PPV and NPV were 63% (five of eight patients) and 71% (20 of 28 patients), respectively. When identifying arterial invasion, the accuracy of CT with CT angiography and of CT alone was 86% (31 of 36 patients). PPV and NPV also were identical at 71% (five of seven patients) and 90% (26 of 29 patients), respectively. CONCLUSION: CT angiography significantly increases the ability to identify venous invasion when compared with CT alone but does not improve detection of arterial invasion.     

Aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index in hepatitis C virus and Schistosomiasis coinfection

AIM: To assess the diagnostic accuracy,of aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI) alone and with antischistosomal antibody(Ab) in patients with hepatitis C virus(HCV) and schistosomiasis coinfection. METHODS: This retrospective study included medical records of three hundred and eighty three Egyptianmen patients who had undergone percutaneous liver biopsy between January 2006 to April 2014 in tertiary care hospital in Qatar for diagnosis or monitoring purpose were selected. Data of patients 18 years of age were included in the study. The values of HCV RNA titer and antischistosomal antibody titer were also taken into consideration. Patients were excluded from the study if they had any other concomitant chronic liver disease,including; history of previous antiviral or interferon therapy,immunosuppressive,therapy,chronic hepatitis B infection,human immunodeficiency virus co-infection,autoimmune hepatitis,decompensated liver disease,hepatocellular carcinoma,prior liver transplantation,and if no data about the liver biopsy present. RESULTS: Median age of patients was 46 years. About 7.1% had no fibrosis,whereas 30.4%,37.5%,20.4%,and 4.6% had fibrosis of stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ respectively. In bivariate analysis,APRI score,levels of AST,platelet count and age of patient showed statistically significant association with liver fibrosis(P 0.0001); whereas antischistosomal antibody titer(P = 0.52) and HCV RNA titer(P = 0.79) failed to show a significant association. The respective AUC values for no fibrosis,significant fibrosis,severe fibrosis and cirrhosis of APRI score were 63%,73.2%,81.1% and 88.9% respectively. This showed good sensitivity and specificity of APRI alone for grading of liver fibrosis. But the inclusion of anti-Schistosoma antibody did not improve the prediction of fibrosis stage. CONCLUSION: The study results suggest that noninvasive biochemical markers like APRI are sensitive and specific in diagnosing the degree of fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with coinfection of HCV and schistosomiasis as compared to biopsy. The addition of antischistosomal Ab to APRI did not improve sensitivity for predicting the degree of cirrhosis.